Review: Compass Box Hedonism 2026
Compass Box’s Hedonism became an annually released whisky in 2023 (this is our first taste since that happened), and in 2026, it got a celebrity backer, too. Actress Karen Gillan is “the muse” for the label, created by artist Emma Hack. Hedonism was Compass Box’s first whisky ever, launched in 2000, and it remains a…
Building a Brand and Busting Tennessee Whiskey Myths: An Interview With Allisa Henley of AJ Bond
In June 2026, spirits giant Sazerac unveiled its first Tennessee whiskey. Dubbed AJ Bond, the whiskey itself didn’t land as a complete shock. In 2016, the conglomerate bought Newport, Tennessee’s Popcorn Sutton Distillery. In the purchase, Sazerac acquired the expertise of distillers Allisa Henley and John Lunn, both veterans of the Tennessee whiskey industry…
Review: Penelope Classic Series Rye and Kentucky Bourbon
For years, Penelope built much of its reputation around carefully selected sourced whiskey, particularly bourbon and rye distilled by MGP in Indiana. June 2026 marked a meaningful shift with the arrival of two permanent additions to the Penelope portfolio: Classic Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Classic Series Straight Rye Whiskey. Released together as part…
Review: Wyoming Whiskey National Parks No. 5 Limited Edition Bourbon (2026)
Wyoming Whiskey’s National Parks-focused releases continue with the fifth official installment in the series, A Tribute to the Tetons, honoring the 97th anniversary of Grand Teton National Park. If you’re wondering why annual release #4 came out in 2024 and #5 is arriving in 2026 it’s because last year’s release, Acadia Edition, was an outlier…
Review: 2025 Frescobaldi Tuscan White and Rose
When one thinks of Tuscan wines, one usually imagines Italy’s most renowned reds, including Chianti, Brunello di Montalicino, and Super Tuscans. This makes sense since 86% of the region’s wine production is dedicated to red wines. But that leaves 14% unaccounted for, and the region produces some very nice whites and rosés, which we’ll be…
Review: Wheel Horse Rum Barrel Double Mash Whiskey
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau recognizes 53 classification codes across the full range of American whiskey. Most drinkers are acquainted with broad categories such as bourbon, but the TTB divides bourbon into several more specific classifications: blended bourbon whisky, straight bourbon whisky, bottled in bond bourbon whisky, straight bourbon whisky, and bourbon…
Review: Shock Top High Voltage
It’s been a decade since we last reviewed a Shock Top beer, a ten-year stretch that has seen the wheat beer specialist undergo a full rebrand/redesign — and now the launch of a wildly high abv bruiser to join the brewery’s collection. At 9.6% abv, it’s the booziest Shock Top release ever made, essentially the…
Texas Wine Country Visits 2026 – Ron Yates, Ab Astris, and Rebecca Caroline
The wine country in Texas Hill Country, situated in and around the town of Fredericksburg, is booming. Every time I travel here I’m greeted by a new tasting room, fresh vineyards, and more revelers looking to enjoy the state’s rapidly growing (and improving) wine scene. A recent Saturday took us to three wineries in the…